Women's Rowers Post Three Firsts in Initial Ivy League Championship, But All Miss Grand Final

PENNSAUKEN, N.J. -- Rowing has a consolation prize for boats that miss making the Grand Final. It is called the Petite Final, and although Columbia Women's Rowing won every Petite Final it entered Sunday, it was scant consolation for the Lions.

"I'm disappointed," head women's coach Scott Ramsey admitted after the conclusion of the first Ivy League Rowing Championship on the Cooper River. "I expected to be in medal contention in every race."

But you can't contend for a medal unless you row in a Grand Final, and the only way to make a Grand Final is to do well in your opening heat. Across the board, Columbia placed fourth of four in each of its heats.

In the second heat of the Varsity Eights, the Lions were timed in 6:25.304 for the sun-drenched 2000-meter course, eight seconds behind Brown, the heat winner. In its second-varsity heat, Columbia was timed in 6:39.554, 11 seconds behind Princeton, while in the Varsity Fours, Columbia came in, in 7:39.272, 25 seconds in back of Princeton.

The varsity eights heat was Columbia's most competitive. However, the Lions did not possess the speed to stay with the leaders.

With six Ivy League schools reaching their respective Grand Finals, that left only two of the eight Ivies for each Petite Finals.

"I told the team that they needed to do well in the Petite Finals to make up for the disappointment of the heats," Ramsey said. "If you win the Petite Final, you win as much you can here."

In the varsity eight Petite Final, Columbia defeated Penn in 6:31.535 to the Quakers' 6:34.860. The Lions also topped the Quakers in the second varsity Petite, 6:51.994 to 7:03.530.

In the varsity fours, it was Columbia over Dartmouth. The Lions won in 7:41.923, more than 11 seconds ahead of Dartmouth's 7:53.606.

The Ivy League Championship, which was held in conjunction with the women's Sprints League Championship, brought Columbia's season to a close.